Don't Bet On It
by QueenofQuill
Summary: How Jason came to see Iolaus as a friend after lusting after him a little


**Don't Bet On It**

_This story provides an idea of how Jason comes to see Iolaus as a friend and also gives a little about the Gods who claim ownership of him through his many talents and an explaination of why the Gods agreed to bring Iolaus back from the dead time and time agian (the light i.e modern God) It also contains some slash references because come on the is ancient Greece and we are in an all boys school here. I think the TV program Got the God Hermes wrong, they turned the boy faced, mischevious God into a middle aged man having a mid-life crisis and I think they got Apollo wrong too just look at what he was God (lots of good things) of and he was so protective of his sister so I don't think they should have made him the selfish brat that they did so in my stoires Hermes is young and handsom and Apollo is a little spoilt (I mean come he's a God) but he is also kind and compassionate. P.S. Hercules isn't jealous he's just angry._

We were getting a new cadet. Apparently he is a theif here on parole. This is a training academy for warriors not a way out for people who should be in prison. I probebly shouldn't have said this out loud because when I did Hercules looked like he desperately wanted to punch me. To distract him I asked about the new cadet and he told us. Apparently they've been friends since he was six Iolaus is a little older. He had to leave home because of his father, no other reason just 'because of his father' and steal to survive.

"There are other ways of getting silver, like earning it," said Luther, his over-protective brother was King of Athens so Luther had learnt to speak up while being here because he couldn't do it at home.

"Well would you employ a homeless kid if one came to you?" I spoke up trying to get back on Hercules' good side. Luther lowered his head knowing I had a point even if my heart wasn't in it.

Hercules continued, "The reason the judge granted him a place here was the reason he was caught."

"How was he caught?" asked Angelo, one of the younger cadets who like the rest of us wanted to know why on earth a theif would be granted a place here.

"He'd stolen from some merchant just before a house caught fire and instead of running he went in and saved the two children trapped inside. My mother and I were in court the day he was sentenced and it turned out he'd helped a lot of people while he was on the streets as there were many who had come to protest agianst it."

I was determined to meet this theif, the son of Zeus thought so highly of so I woke up less begrudgingly than usual and followed the cadets through the morning rountine. Hercules was fine, I wouldn't have guessed he so anxious unless I had caught him looking out the window every now and then.

At morning drills I was fighting Luther and winning until I was distracted by Hercules just wondering over to the door and I was knocked on my ass. I looked around and everybody was trying to pretend they were busy with work but all eyes were on Hercules but he didn't seem to notice, as a figure appeared in the door perhaps an inch or two shorter than me who pulled him into a rib cracking hug. Meanwhile the cadets doing drills had clustered around me prentending to help me up but really wanting a better view. I shrugged them off and stood up as the figure released Hercules.

I didn't see but I was sure mouths around me dropped as Hercules stepped away and we got a good look at the new cadet. He was nothing other than breath taking. His hair could have been spun gold, gentally and naturally curling past his ears. His eyes, the colour of a cloudless summer sky and he had a smile that put the sun to shame. The cadets caught themselves and started to go back to drills still staring in awe at Hercules' gorgeous friend who still hadn't noticed them. The two friends clasped forearms in a warrior handshake and Hercules began to show Iolaus around.

*****************************************

"Well that settles it," said Barberus the oldest of the cadets, "he didn't have to steal."

"Huh?" I said

"Yeh I would have payed for that."

I gave him a slap on the arm for being so crude but I was not thinking on completely different lines.

Barberus just laughed, "how does Hercules know someone like that?"

"A theif?" Angelo asked naively.

"No," he snapped, "the son a of a Goddess."

Angelo started to get his meaning. We all knew he was no son of a goddess but from the way he looked he might aswell have been.

I started to laugh, "Beileve you me Hercules is far from that. He doesn't even know how to talk to women let alone venture in that direction."

"Who cares, one look at him would have Artemis breaking out the oils."

Angelo, uncomfortable and trying to ignore our meanings chimmed, "Well Hercules said he was a hunter."

I didn't see Hercules agian until lunch. He walked in, his hand casually placed on Iolaus' shoulder. I came over eager to introduce myself. Hercules looked at me as if he had just rememmbered he'd forgot about me and gave an embaressed smile, "Jason this is Iolaus," he said as if about to repeat the story from last night, "Iolaus this is Jason crowned Prince of Corinth."

At first I wished he hadn't done that now he was going to act all aquard around me but to my surprise he wasn't the least bit phased by my title and held out his hand to take mine in a warrior shake giving me a dazzling smile.

************************************************

I found it so hard to concentrate all day. Then when we went back into the pratice room disaster struck.

"Hercules, you and Mikus start with the staffs, Luther and Angelo, swords. Jason you and Iolaus wrestle, everyone else do strenches until I come back."

Anteus the drill instructer enjoyed teasing me but this was just cruelty. How could I be that close to Iolaus without letting my hands wander. Oh no I felt myself growing hard just thinking about it. When he took his shirt off I almost moaned. Gods his body was just as beautiful as his face. He had the body of a dancer, a hard chest, strong arms and thin muscular legs. His skin looked so smooth I almost iched to touch it but I just stared on.

"In fact," said Anteus coming back into the room, grinning, "Hercules you fight Iolaus, you can get him up to speed.

He really was teasing me, regardless I breathed a sigh of relief. Iolaus didn't bother putting his shirt back on he just climbed up onto the stepping stones and began fighting Hercules. He obviously didn't need to be brought up to speed, everyone, including Anteus watched in awe as he fought Hercules with ease. He wasn't winning but he wasn't making it easy for Hercules either, he moved so fast and easily over the stepping stones, he naturally athletic even graceful. He dodged and attcked so well that for a moment it looked like Hercules was going to fall but he caught himself and kicked Iolaus of the stepping stones.

"Hey don't get to cocky you have an infair advantage," he good naturedly grumbled.

At dinner time Hercules and Iolaus recived permission to go hunting, they packed some food and left. Everyone hudled together aroung one table.

"Wow," Mikus said.

"Wow," Barberus reapted, "I've never seen anything quite like that."

"His fighting?" Angelo chimmed.

"The whole thing," he replied licking his lips, "bet you wouldn't mind having one of those in you royal bed Jason."

A laughter arose from the table and I raised my hands trying to calm in down, "Alright alright," they settled down, "I'm not like that."

Technically that wasn't true I had, had a male lover, if Iolaus was Gold then this boy was bronze. To me having a male lover is no different from having a female lover as long as they are good looking and good in bed their sex doesn't bother me. But soon I found out that this beautiful youth was falling in love with me so I got him a job somewhere else. He nearly begged me not to but I know it was the best thing. I missed him but I never called him back.

"What do you say Jason?"

"Huh," I said as I was called back to the present.

"We're going to see who can get Iolaus into bed first, were you even listening?" huffed an impaitent Luther, "winner gets 100 dinars."

"Like any of you really need a hundred dinars." Angelo tried to reason.

"Well you're welcome to do it for free," laughed Barberus.

"I agree," I said, "what good is a hundred dinars to you?"

"Us? You're not going to join us, surely you aren't going to miss out ona chance to bed someone like that, the dinars are just to make it interesting."

Agianst my better judgment I took the bet because if I was honest dinars or not I did want to get Iolaus out of my system and bedding him seemed to be the only avalible solution. Angelo rolled his eyes and pushed his plate away.

****************************************

For weeks the guys put their best moves on Iolaus, he suspected something but he hadn't guessed he just brushed them off gentally until he became impatient and turned them down flat. That left the egos of many of the guys severely bruised. Iolaus sat with us at lunch and laughed it off but Hercules looked furious. I dismissed it as minor annoyance but that same night while Iolaus was talking to Cheiron about catching up on the academic subjects Hercules exploded and demanded an explaination from us. Angelo rolled his eyes at me and gave me a look as if to say, 'I told you so.'

Becoming the onslaught of Hercules' rage a cadet named Telaus lost his nerve and told him about the bet saying everyone was involved.

"Everyone?" asked Hercules taking hs killer expression away from Telaus and looking at me.

"Well," Telaus squirmed, "Angelo didn't take the bet."

Angelo didn't take his eyes away from his scroll but raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'I'm not involved and I'm not getting involved'

Hercules lowered Telaus to the ground just before Iolaus entered.

The next morning Hercules told Iolaus about the bet, he was silent for a moment then he burst into laughter not pausing for breath.

"This, is, not, funny." Hercules said emphasising each word.

"Oh come on Herc it's a little bit funny," he said between laughs.

Cheiron came in and saw Iolaus holding his sides, which did futher damage to the guy's already damaged egos but at Cheiron's entrance hearts including mine nearly come to a stand still.

"Hercules report to my office after drills."

Iolaus had calmed down somewhat but he avoided everyone's eyes lest he burst into hysteria agian. Most of us just tried not to look at him but Barberus after Cheiron's exit stormed out of the practice room the practice room which made Iolaus stiffle another laugh. Hercules rolled his eyes clearly wondering how he could be ok with this let alone find it funny.

******************************************

Hercules' visit to Cheiron's office wasn't about Iolaus as everyone expected. Hercules' mother Alcmene had taken ill and he had to go and care for her. For me this couldn't have come at a better time, I couldn't stand to look at Hercules' angry eyes one more day.

"Tell Alcmene I climbed the walls to come and see her," said Iolaus with genuiene concern.

"It's just the flu she said she didn't even need me there in anyway."

"Well you know Alcmene you get there she'd probebly be cleaning the walls with a broken leg."

"Yeh," Hercules said with a huff.

Iolaus went to ask Cheiron if he could go hunting and Hercules went upstairs to pack. I followed him. He threw some clothes in a bag, slung it over his shoulder and picked up Iolaus' bow and quiver full of arrows looking at me with such a firece expression, "If you use this as an oppertunity to win that stupid bet I swear to Zeus _I'll _hunt _you_."

I tried to lighten his attitude, Hercules didn't get mad often but when he it was horrible, "aw come on Hercules it doesn't bother him, anyway he's turned us all down."

"He hasn't turned you down," he said cornering me, "and you're not going to give him a chance."

"What is it with you over him," I could have bit my tounge, Hercules picked me up by my shirt and trapped me agianst the wall.

"He was like my brother when I never had one," gods this guy was more important to him than Iphicles, "he taught me to fight long before I came here and I know him hitting the streets had something to do with protecting me so whether it bothers him or not it bothers me and if you really are my friend you'll back off."

***************************************************

I began to wonder if Cheiron enjoyed teasing me too, "Jason why don't you accompany Iolaus hunting it's getting dark and I'd hate someone to be out their on their own."

Gods almighty. I felt Hercules' hand on my shoulder and heard him whisper, "Iolaus thinks you didn't take the bet and it is going to stay that way."

Then he left and Iolaus and I headed of into the nearby woods. Nothing could have been more tense in my life, good thing we didn't have to talk. Soon we came across a rabbit and it was past dinner time so I built a fire, he caught it and we cooked it. He talked away to me with such ease I was startled, I couldn't think of a word to say back to him. Then it fell silent, at first I was relieved then I realised he was listening for something.

"What is it?"

He unsheathed his sword and stood up, I did the same. He walked with his knees slightly bent avioding all the twigs and leaves without even looking at the ground.

"Something big just went this way," he said pointing north. I stood admiring his focus and his perfectly formed arse. I tried not to look. My admieration was cut off by large teeth coming at us. Iolaus stood absolutly still.

This was nothing other than a huge snake, jagged teeth that were probebly poison, wide staring eyes. It lunged at Iolaus with a vicious hiss and he dropped to the ground and slid gracefully out of it's reach. The serpant would have had to make a full turn to to get to Iolaus so it made a bite for me. I drew my sword ready to defend myself but before I could the snake let out a huge cry of pain and I saw Iolaus had cut off the tip of it's tail, not a lot but enough to have an impact esspecially since that was a sensitve part. It swerved around to meet Iolaus once agian. He lunged in one direction around a tree then another and another until the serpant was tied up and couldn't move. With it's last length of neck it made another lunge for me. I made a dive for it's huge head. I dug my fingers in it's huge eye and grabbed hold of it's top tooth so it couldn't get it's other's around to bite me. Iolaus jumped onto the snakes head next to me and also grabbed a hold of the tooth.

"On three pull," he said and on three we disodged the tooth from the gums and the tailess haft blind snake gave another cry of pain and threw me of it's head. I fell in an aquard position so my leg snapped and I screamed. My scream distracted Iolaus and he was thrown off the snakes head aswell. He landed like a little cat inspite of the rocks and branches. He turned to face me to make sure I was alright. I fought to get up and help him but when I tried I thought if I try anymore I'll pass out. I kept a close eye on him praying to any Gods that were listening that he would be alright. I spotted that he still had the tooth in his hand. With a deep breath he flew at the monster and stabbed it with it's own venom right between the eyes. He jumped off as it started to swerve it's head from side to side and then fell to the ground before disolving into dust and being blown away.

****************************************

Iolaus rushed to my side and scooped me into his arms supporting my head.

"I'm going to try and carry you out of the forest," he warned.

"No, you're exhausted and who knows maybe you got some poison in your system too."

"There's a lake over there we can go there to clean your wounds."

That got to me, he was a stranger to me and he was more concerned about me than himself. He lifted me with some difficulty to the near by lake and set me down to look at my leg. His touch was so gental, so not what I expected from a man who was tearing a snake apart but two minuets ago.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeh, but I don't think it's too bad."

"Yeh I think it's still in the right position to heal, but it's definately broken, anything else hurt?"

"Besides a few cuts I think I seriously pulled a hamstring in my other ankle."

"Get in the water that'll help."

He spoke with the confidenece of someone who was accostomed to knowing what to do. Even someone who was accostomed to giving orders. In this gang he was in he must have been, if not the leader, some one of importance. Even though I am not accostomed to taking orders I saw no reason to argue so I removed my top. When he saw my trouble he started unlacing my boots. I felt like I would jump out of my skin if it would stop him from touching me. I Started to work on my belts before he could and as carefully as I could I desperately pushed myself into the lake trying to let the cold water settle my obvious arousal. He seemed starled at first by my reaction to his touch but I don't think he saw anything. Thank Gods.

Then he stared taking his clothes off, oh Gods. I tried to avert my gaze but now that I got a better view of that ass I had been admiring before disaster hit I couldn't stop looking. My eyes followed that perfect ass into the lake. He quickly scrubbed his body and then ducked under. He stayed down there for a few seconds then surfced and walked out of the lake like some kind of water nympth. Gods he looked amazing wet. I gave a moan that surprised even me.

"Is that hamstring bothering you? Do you want me to see if I can massage it out?"

"No," I said suddenly, "no I'll be fine."

Gods he really believed I didn't take that bet. A rush of guilt swam in. Even as a theif, he was helping people, feeding children, saving families, healing injuries, he had just saved my life and I had to make that stupid bet. As he helped me out of the lake and dressed me after bandging my leg with a little kit he kept in his sack swore to myself that I would be the best friend I could to him, I would earn the trust he had given unconditionally. I would never be able to repay him for throwing himself into death's arms for me but perhaps in time I would prove myself worthy of his friendship and kindness. I was startled as he gave me a dazzling smile thinking he had read my thoughts but then relaxed as I saw him hand me a stick to lean on while he helped me back to the academy just as dawn was breaking.

******************************************

"Alright Ares I did what you asked, I made Alcmene sick now who you give me back my lyre," Ares handed the beautiful God's his prized instrument with a familar smile of amusment, "thank-you, now would you tell me why you the God of war who has caused the deaths of more than all of us put together needs the services of me the God of life, light and healing."

Ares let out a sigh, Apollo always felt the need to reinforce his position with people he knew but with strangers he usually remained anonomous, "I wanted you to make dad's conquest ill so Hercules wouldn't be there to defend his little play mate, but it looks like little bright eyes does need bro's protection."

Apollo stared down at the vision Ares had conjured up of a youth so stunning he rivaled his own beauty. The youth was bandaging the leg of someone Apollo recodnised as the Prince of Corinth.

Apollo smiled seductivly at the Golden mortal Ares saw this, "hands off Apollo he's mine."

"Are you kidding, look at him, he knows the arts of heaing and the sun told me she blessed him with her rays when he was born. Do you think I would give him up to you?"

"He's a warrior and a born leader that makes him mine."

"Hold on," said an echo like voice followed by the apperance of Artemis, "he is the most sensational hunter and tracker Greece has ever seen. He gets into the woods even a God can have trouble finding him so if he is anybody's he belongs to me."

A blue gush of light appeared in the room followed by Hermes, "Ares I thought _he_ was your type," he said pointing to the Prince of Corinth, "tall dark leather clad power holders."

" I think with a body like that even you would been willing to make an exception huh sis," teased Apollo winking at his twin. She rolled her eyes but she didn't chop him in half like she would if anyone else said that to her.

"I'm not giving him up," insisted Hermes.

"If I remember correctly he gave you up," grinned Ares.

"It's is only a matter of time before he comes crawling back."

"The only place he'll be crawling is in the woods stalking prey."

"He is a warrior and he wont be crawling anywhere."

They can to blows just then, screaming that he was their's and they woudn't give him up. Then another God entered the room, a large silver blast and Zeus appeared silencing his bickering childern.

"I will have no-one coming to blows in my family especially over a mortal."

"Father," Hermes complained, "have you seen this moral?"

"I have."

"We are not the only one's who lay claim to him you know." Ares shouted, "but he is above all else a warrior, not even a hunter could have defeated my serpant."

"Yes you really care for him," Hermes said sarcastically, "you tried to kill him and where were you when his father beat him sensless every night he was home."

"Sounds like you, little brother have more in mind for this boy than thieving," grinned Ares.

"Don't you," Hermes retorted.

"He'll choose me," asserted Artemis, "his body has been used agian and agian but his heart is chaste like mine, he knows that under my protection no-one will ever use him agian."

"Oh yeh," chimmed Apollo staying out of it thus far becasue he didn't want to fight with Artemis but he got so angry he when she contradicted herself, "and where were you when he was used on the streets."

Artemis' usually hard eyes scrunched up a little, "he was under Aphrodite awell you know."

"Aphrodite's only five," huffed Ares as is that should exclude her even though Gods grow their adult bodies very quickly.

"She's five she's not blind," Apollo said guiltly turning away from Artemis, "she'll be able to see the promise in a lover like that, when I was in town I heard one of your warriors spreading word of his skill. Not to mention one of Hephestus' blacksmiths talking about his talent in the forge."

Zeus sensing another fight was to break out shouted, "SILENCE. He will belong to none of you, he belongs to the light."

"Me," squeaked Apollo.

"No," said Zeus getting impaitent, "there is a force far beyond this world. Someone who called himself Gabriel deilivered news to me of this mortal's birth then just recently another one who called himself Micheal visited me and told me that I must do anything within my power to keep this mortal alive. Even if it means rewinding time and changing history I must do it. He must be free to make his own choices. I have already spoken to the others who lay claim to him. no-one shall have him"

He looked away from his now sulking children to study the beautiful mortal who was just arriving back at the academy with the injured prince, "Good luck boy."


End file.
